Strategy

Strange how the snake didn't move, although it did scream. It's tail burned down to nothing, parts of it were falling away, but still the food did not budge. Perhaps it thought it was safe in the tunnel, but why would it leave it's tail out? If dragons could chuckle, this one would, instead he breathed in again, sucking in great amounts of air that moved the trees as if a breeze passed through them.

Colin, Jackie and Jordan sat perched on top of the coal bin discussing their next steps. Jackie was still in shock that her father had passed away, and Jordan felt a little wary of the newcomer. Colin on the other hand was trying to keep his meager lunch in his stomach, the nervousness had become so bad that he felt that his insides were twisted into knots. The shadow went across the exit of the tunnel, and all three young adults looked toward the strange encounter. Jackie stiffened, she knew that shadow. There was only one creature that could make a shadow that big, and it wasn't pretty.

Although she didn't want to see her fathers remains Jackie scrambled down into the engine and started to shovel in loose coal to heat up the stove to get the train moving again. Colin watched her and gathered up armfuls of the coal around him and carried it down to her. He didn't know what she was doing but he knew that it was alleviating the nervousness that was in his heart.

Jordan, being taller than the other two leaned over to see beyond the first carriage that blocked the others view. She counted twelve carriages, and the mangled remains of another cart, which could only be the caboose. And there was something crawling away from the caboose. Suddenly she realized the severity of the situation. She didn't know the danger that was coming to them, but she could hear the petrified screams of the passengers aboard.

The land locked mermaid pulled herself away from the wreckage, counting the seconds until she could safely run away. She did not prepare for an unusual stop as this, but she would have to make do. First she needed to find the conductor, Mr. Acurn and help in any way that she could. 25.... 26.... 27.....

Slowly the train began to move again and the dragon circling above blew stray smoke away from his eyes. The snake must have not been able to take any more pain, and now it was coming closer to his home, where he would eat the train. He needed something to crack the tough shell, the shell was sometimes easy to break but the shards that he left behind scratched his paws dreadfully. Thoughtfully the dragon soared away, searching for a large boulder as to rip the snake apart.

The mermaid ran into the tunnel, faster than any creature on earth. She needed the conductor, before he reached the other side of the tunnel.

Next Time: Dinner for One

Inner Strength

A natural fighter, Jordan was the first to recover from the stalling of the train. Trading her cumbersome and sometimes awkward heels for a pair of slightly worn blue sneakers she ventured out of her small room and went against the current of people heading for the dining cars. The loudspeakers that the attendants were currently speaking from were turned down so low that amongst the crushing mass of people, no one could hear the instructions. A few mothers fretted over their sons and daughters racing between the legs of the travelers, but even they did not know of the danger that was passing over head. Jordan allowed her looks to let her pass through the throng of people unscathed, but she paused when a girl about her age ran into her bosom straight on. She was a fairly pretty girl herself, but quite plain in a sense of if you had met her you may never think twice. The new girl had jet black hair, and blue eyes that lit up when she looked at Jordan. Her child like lips broke into a friendly smile and her entire expression changed.

"Hi!" Jackie said, sticking out her hand. Bits of peanut butter still filled the creases of her fingernails, but it didn't seem to bother her at the moment. "I'm Jacy-Lynn. But most of my friends call me Jackie. What's your name?"

Jordan was astonished at first then quickly regained her composure. When you were in the fashion world, you needed to change your attitude quickly or you could lose your job. "I'm Jordan." She eyed the peanut butter under the other girls fingernails, but reached to shake her hand anyways. She could wash off the stickiness later. "Do you know where the conductor is? I must have a word with him about the odd stopping of the train today. I must get to Cape Gull as soon as possible, I have a photo shoot."

Jackie laughed, it wasn't the first complaint she had heard all day. But this Jordan girl was different, if she had a modeling gig then she definitely didn't care that much about it. After all, she just shook her peanut buttery hand and wiped the stickiness on her designer jeans!

The shadow flew across the train again, disappointed that he couldn't pick up it's delicious meal on the other side of the mountain. Over here there were too many trees, and rocks which prevented a safe landing. Also there were rock slides over here, which caused trouble for the rouge dragon.

Colin hid in the coal bin. Although he was deep in the tunnel, he could still see the shadow passing through bright section of the tunnel, where the train was still extended through. He shrugged, probably just a very large bird. As he sat in the coal bin he began to think, he was the only one up front, alone, with a dead conductor, the controls to a very large, top speed train and to make matters worse, that dreaded feeling began to slip back into his heart. He had to find someone to tell that the conductor was dead, and he had to find someone to start up the train again. It wasn't going to start by itself after all, when he pulled on the emergency brake he had snapped the pole right out of the floor of the train.

"Dad?" Colin froze, he wasn't expecting to come face to face with two pretty girls as he descended the other side of the coal bin. "Sorry, I'm not your dad, I'm just Colin."

Jackie sized up the new kid from head to foot. He was skinny enough to appear that he hadn't eaten in a few days, but the well worn shoes and mended clothes meant that he was trying his hardest to keep his life together. The black smudges across his face and hair evidently meant that he did spend some time in the coal bin, although how many times he had been in and out of this very one would be a mystery.

The dragon decided to take it's chances and eat the treat anyways. Better to have eaten it now then let it spoil for a few days. But where was the nice hot black things that he used in his nest? He beat his black wings and circled over the train again, taking in deep breathes to fuel his fiery breath. Perhaps he could smoke the moving snake out of the tunnel and closer to his lair. Yes, that would be nice, a meal closer to his lair. He flew in low over the red tail of the snake and released his weapon.

The train shuddered from the impact of the sudden breath of fire. Men, women and children screamed and ran from the dining hall, closer to the front of the train that was still in the tunnel. In their panic they did not hear the small scream of a body enclosed in the caboose, of a body that was slowly boiling in the small space. The second stream of un-holy fire leaped against the sides of the caboose and caused greater damage than the first one. Boxes, luggage and bits of repair for the lost train fueled the inescapable fire, rags forgotten in corners smoked then raged into small bonfires, giving a bridge to the destruction up the walls. As the caboose began to dissolve into nothingness a side of the caboose, twisted in the increased temperature fell, breaking the brass lock that held the captive in her place. Fueled by her hot quarters she shot from the melting glass that held her in the watery grave and with her last remaining strength escaped from the deadly blaze. 

Next Time: Strategy

Happy Birthday!

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Halting

 Colin straightened up from his crouched position. In the four years he's jumped trains, he was able to detect when something was wrong on the train. For instance today, the train was going too fast to be going through the tunnel. Way too fast. He climbed from his safe spot between the cars and clung to the coal box and made a treacherous journey to the front of the train. Although he may be kicked off the train, he needed to speak with the driver. Branches snagged his clothing and long unwashed hair, but he still moved on, holding on for dear life. Finally he reached the safe platform and was able to walk straight into the un-roofed room where the driver was sitting in his folding chair.
Colin tapped him on the shoulder and received no response. Again he tapped him, and still the conductor did not move. Puzzled he moved in front of the conductor and realized what had happened. The driver was not simply resting, he had unfortunately sat too close to the fire and inhaled too much of the toxic fumes that the coal produced. In addition the poor driver was well beyond his years to be a driver and had succumbed to death. Young drivers often could stand the soot and toxic fumes, but as it was he was too far gone. To avoid any unneeded deaths and a fatal accident that could result in his own, Colin pulled the emergency break and let the train, with its immense strength to stop itself.

The sudden stopping of the train threw Jordan off of her feet and caused a very long mascara line to be drawn across her face, beginning in her right eye and ending on her lower chin. She cursed the driver, and quickly drew out her Make-Up-B-Gone hidden in her bag. One odd stopping in the middle of nowhere would not mess up her afternoon. The train would probably start up again soon, it was probably only just a herd of cattle moving across the tracks, it happened all the time. Now where was the heels she needed for the shoot?

In her room Jackie lost out on the action, when the train stopped she was forced to be in the tunnel. It was too dark to keep her interest, and all her food was gone too. So much for a short trip. A naturally curious girl, the notion crept into her mind to hunt down the cause of the halting of the train, and stood up to take a look around. She could see the front of the train, barely, if she stuck her head out far enough, but the caboose was still far away, and around the corner, twinkling in the sunlight. Suddenly a large shadow moved over the twinkling train and was gone again. Jackie pulled in her head and rubbed her eyes, perhaps she just wasn't used to traveling.

A hidden passenger was puzzled by the sudden stopping of the train. She had enough water to hold her from the town she had just left until she reached Cape Gulf, and that was not counting emergencies. In her bones, though, she knew it was more than just a normal routine stop. She could feel the wrongness in the air, and the long shadow that passed by her window did not make matters better. As if a bolt of lightning had struck her, she remembered what that certain scent in the air was, and it was not pretty.
It was dragon, but how could she protect herself from a dragon while being safely locked in the water tank? If someone was able to take her out of the confinement she could be of use. But if the train was stopped, that would mean that the driver was in trouble, the only man who knew that she was back here. Frustrated she pounded against the glass, the brass lock banging against the case.

Next Time: Inner Strengh

The Tunnel

The train continued down the tracks tooting happily to children waiting at the crossing stands. The driver, satisfied with the smooth driving ahead threw in a shovelful of coal, and laid back in his easy chair keeping an eye on the road ahead. Four miles ahead loomed the great tunnel, but for now he could sit back and enjoy the ride. Not much to take care of when the road ahead was flat and he could see trouble long before it arrived. This was going to be a paradise ride to Cape Gull.

Jordan locked herself in the small cubbyhole that served as a restroom and laid out her make up on the small shelf. She used the little amount of water that she could have from the tap to wash away the dirt that had worked its way into her fair skin from the convertible drive up to the train station. After being thoroughly washed she applied the base layers of her makeup, working her way around her eyes, which she saved to finish for last. She glanced out the window to assess the situation, then applied the blue eyeliner to accent her eyes. Once her facial make up was completed she brushed out her blond hair and prepared it with pink curlers, preparing for her next modeling gig in Cape Gull.

Jackie, on the other hand, was enjoying the passing scenery and was intrigued with the way the clouds did not seem to move at all although on the train they were moving faster than 30 miles per hour. She had holed up in a large compartment, across from a rather cross looking man in a tan suit that was reading the stocks in the newspaper. On the other side of the compartment sat a lady wearing a green suit that made her look like a very squished frog, that was tempted by the small toy dog that, if they both were to proportion, could very well be a fly. It was not a very long ride to Cape Gull, however if the scenery did not suite her, the parcels from her many siblings would certainly keep her attention. Gradually the scenery began to bore Jackie and she turned to the parcels, a few which contained cookies and sandwiches to eat on the trip.

The strange boy who had jumped on the train after the trip had begun began to feel a little uneasy. Oh sure, the sky was blue, the grass was green and it certainly was good weather for traveling on the outside of the train, but something else was odd. As the sign for the great tunnel whizzed by him, the back side was all he could see, his uneasiness grew. For a moment he considered jumping and saving his stomach, but his sense of adventure kept him holding onto the beams between the cars.

Beyond the great tunnel was something to be afraid of however, and it was not just a mild thunderstorm that occasionally cropped up this time of year. This fearsome ungodly creature, more massive than a strong tree, faster than a candle being blown out and only had one idea in his mind at a time. This idea was another meals on wheels, and it was coming his way. He learned to hide behind the tunnel and halt the moving thing before it had moved beyond the thicket where some had sped on by before. After the thicket was tall buildings, and tall spiky branches that had torn a hole in his left wing. No, the best place to stop the food was to stop it after the big long tunnel. He beat his wings and flew up into the blue sky, and shot a flame of fire toward his goddess the Sun. He, after all, was a dragon, the king of the sky.

Next Time: Halting

Cape Gull

"Theodore, don't worry. What could possibly happen on a train? Besides," She stroked his cheek; stubble had already begun to grow on his tanned skin. It was barely morning and already he had something of a 5 o'clock shadow growing. "I'm only going to Cape Gull, I will be fine!"

Jordan kissed Theodore lightly on the lips and with a cheerful wave stepped onto the train just as the conductor started making the final calls.

Theodore could see her walking in the body of the train and blew a kiss goodbye. "She's right," he muttered, "They're only going a day out in the country." Still, he felt uneasy as he left the terminal.

On the other side of the tracks, a large family gathered around a young woman, who was becoming very overburdened with many parcels that her family members were giving to her.

"Momma, I'm fine!" Jackie laughed, but still everyone in her extended family needed to give her something for her trip. Her youngest brother, nicknamed Billie Goat because of his stubbornness, slipped a pack of gum into her pocket. "Make sure you eat it all before you get to ... uh, Momma where is she going again?"

The family laughed at the four year old; being so young he certainly could become forgetful! Louie solved the problem and produced a hand sewn bag that he had designed in his shop and placed most of the parcels in it, before they were in danger of falling all over the tracks. Jackie, aptly named because her parents were expecting another boy instead of a girl, laughed and hugged all one more time and boarded the train. The conductor pulled a string and a whistle blew, scaring poor young Billie into his mother’s arms. She opened the small window and wiggled her fingers at her baby brother as the train began to pull away.

As the train began to pull away, one more passenger boarded the train. He had waited for the train to start leaving so he could board with no one catching him. He was Colin, something he is over twenty, but for his boyish appearance others thought him to be almost twelve. With speed and agility he hugged the side of the train and slipped between two carriages, shielding himself from the wind and from prying eyes. No one saw him off with well wishes, or gave him parcels to carry, he only cursed the bad luck he had gathered in the small town of Arcville, and he hoped in Cape Gull his luck would increase. 

Next Time: The Tunnel

Happy Girl

By: Martina McBride

I used to live in a darkened room
Had a face of stone
And a heart of gloom

Lost my hope, I was so far gone
Cryin' all my tears
With the curtains drawn

I didn't know until my soul broke free
I've got these angels watching over me 

Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
Everybody knows
That the sweetest thing you'll ever see
In the whole wide world
Is a happy girl

I used to hide in a party crowd
Bottled up inside
Feeling so left out

Standing in a corner wearing concrete shoes
With my frozen smile
And my lighted fuse

Now every time I start to feel like that
I roll my heart out like a welcome mat
[. From: http://www.elyrics.net/read/m/martina-mcBride-lyrics/happy-girl-lyrics.html .]

Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
Everybody knows
That the sweetest thing you'll ever see
In the whole wide world
Is a happy girl

Laugh when I feel like it
Cry when I feel like it
That's just how my life is
That's how it goes

Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
And I've come to know
That the world won't change
Just 'cause I complain
Let the axis twirl
I'm a happy girl

Oh watch me go
I'm a happy girl
Everybody knows
That the sweetest thing you'll ever see
In the whole wide world
Is a happy girl

Oh, yeah
Oh, yeah
I'm a happy girl